8 February 2018
Lower sixth biologists spent the day working with scientists from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics on the second trial of a workshop for A level students. The scientists explained some of the roles they play within their research teams and then explained the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique which is used to replicate small amounts of DNA from a sample. This can then be compared with databases to identify the source of the DNA and has many applications in areas from disease control to forensics. The sixth formers were able to try the technique for themselves and learn about its applications from real experts in the field. The Wellcome Trust team are now aiming to use the Abingdon Science Partnership Lab as a venue to run the same workshop with other schools.
